Pennella selaris Kirtisinghe 1964

Pennella selaris Kirtisinghe, 1964

(Fig. 19)

Synonyms. None.

Type host and locality. Selar malam, Indian Ocean.

Morphology. Size: 26 and 29 mm. Papillae: full coverage, few, tubiform, branching. Holdfasts: two. First and second antenna (not described or figured- no information). Abdominal plumes; simple, single.

Remarks: Species inquirendae. Original description from the blackfin trevally (S. malam = Alepes melanoptera); type material not available. The two specimens were described based on one immature and one apparent adult (which did not have egg strings). Kirtisinghe (1964) provided undetailed figures and used the rationale of Leigh-Sharpe (1928: species distinctness based on neck length to trunk length ratio) to differentiate P. selaris from other Pennella species. Neck and trunk length change significantly through metamorphosis and are poor characters for defining species. Pennella selaris is apparently a small species which exhibits an unusual, unique arrangement and structure of the cephalothoracic papillae. No other Pennella has been found on A. melanoptera, although P. filosa (a much larger parasite) has been found on the closely-related amberjack, Seriola dumerilini (Tuncer et al. 2010). Based on its size, unusual host and papillae structure, P. selaris could be considered as a distinct member of Pennella; additional specimens are required to confirm its status. Not reported since the original record.